PTSD – The Powerfully Therapeutic Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen | Dr. Mohammed Elamir

Today on The Empowering Neurologist podcast we are going to explore PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, a pervasive issue that can be profoundly debilitating. PTSD is experienced by about 6% of the US population at some point in their lifetime and at any given time approximately 5% of American adults are living with this disorder. Certainly, we see high risk and veterans with PTSD affecting about 11 to 20% of veterans who served in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Vietnam veterans experience a lifetime prevalence somewhere in the neighborhood of 30%. We know also that women are twice as likely to experience PTSD compared to men with their lifetime risk around 10% with 4% noted in men. PTSD symptoms usually begin within three months of a traumatic event, but can actually surface many years later making the diagnosis and the relationship to a traumatic event challenging. In about 1/3 of cases, PTSD becomes chronic and can last for years or even decades.

We know that there are significant comorbidities associated with PTSD, including other mental health conditions like depression or anxiety disorder, substance use disorders, and even cognitive decline.

While cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT, and pharmaceutical intervention are the “go to” treatments for this problem, hyperbaric oxygen therapy presents us with a new and emerging therapy now receiving global recognition. We will review research on this podcast demonstrating the profound effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen in treating PTSD, research that makes it clear that this is one of the most powerful interventions ever developed for treating this challenging disorder.

We will visit the Aviv Clinic in Central Florida, and spend time with Dr. Mohammad Elamir. Here’s more about him.Dr. Mohammed Elamir, or “Dr. Mo” to his patients, has been part of the Aviv Clinics team in The Villages since the clinic opened in 2020. As lead physician, he oversees the medical treatment for all clients in the Aviv Medical Program, collaborating with other members of Aviv’s clinical team to provide truly comprehensive care. Dr. Elamir became involved with Aviv Clinics after his late father suffered a stroke, which sparked Dr. Mo’s interest in novel approaches to healing the brain. He is the father of two children, including a son with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dr. Elamir considers it his life’s mission to help progress his son’s development and better understand the causes and treatment of ASD.

There is a lot of information in this podcast, and most importantly there’s a lot of hope offered with this exciting modality to really bring about positive change for PTSD patients.